226 



THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



FIG. 215. Typical walrus-har 



poon heads. 



type figured, triangular with curved edges, varying from a rather long 

 triangle like the slate blade just mentioned to a 

 rather short one with very strongly curved edges 

 like Fig. 215a (No. 89750 [1038]), which is peculiar 

 as the only walrus harpoon head with a body of 

 reindeer antler. It also has an iron blade and a 

 rivet of iron, not seldom with rounded basal an 

 gles so as to be almost heart-shaped, like Fig. 215& 

 (No. 56021 [28.S] ). A less common shape of blade 

 is lanceolate, with the base cut oft square as in 

 Fig. 21(J, (Xo. 897&amp;lt;&amp;gt;4 [!40] ). Only eight blades 

 out of the series are of this shape. A still more 

 peculiar shape of blade, of which we saw only 

 one specimen, is shown in Fig. 21G& (No. 89790 

 [94:?] ). This is made of brass. It was perhaps 

 meant for an imitation of the barbed blades used 

 at the Mackenzie, of which I have already spoken. 

 The blade, when of metal, is generally fastened 

 ju with a single rivet. One only out ot the whole 



number .has two rivets, and three are simply wedged into the blade slit. 



The slate blades appear never 



to have been riveted; Nordens- 



kiold, however, figures a walrus 



harpoon from Port Clarence 1 



with a jade blade riveted in. 



The rivet is generally made of 



whalebone, but other materials 



are sometimes used. For in 



stance, in the series collected 



two have rivets of iron, two of 



wood, and five of rawhide. The 



body is generally made of white 



walrus ivory, (five of those col 



lected are of hard bone, and one 



already mentioned and figured, 



No. 89750 [1038], Fig. 215, is 



of reindeer antler), and the 



hexagonal shape, often with 



rounded edges, and the line 



grooves continued to the tip, 



as in Fig. 217o, No. 89757 [947], 



appears to be the commonest. 



Three out of the forty-eight 



have four-Sided bodies. It is 



unusual for the body barb to be bifurcated, as is common farther south. 



.-Typical walru-harpoon hemb. 



, vol. 2. p. 229, Fif;. 3. 



